The Residue of Her Betrayal
by Dana Doggett
Summary: Brad Follmer offers comfort to Dana Scully.


Title: The Residue of Her Betrayal

Author: Dana Doggett

First Draft: 11 August 2003

Final Draft: 25 August 2003

Rating: R

Category: ScullyAngst, implied DSR, implied FRR, small reference to past MSR, Doggett MIA, Reyes MIA, Follmer/Scully Friendship+

Timeline: I'm pretending that the events that happened in "Release" are non-existent and that "The Truth" never happened. In this story, Mulder is still assigned to the x-files division and is not on the run from those silly Super Soldiers. Also in my happy Lala Land of XF, Scully never gave birth to William, so he does not exist.

Spoilers: small Dod Kalm reference

Archiving: Semper Fi only.

Feedback: I love it! Please send to danadoggett

Beta: Not used, sorry! It's very difficult to find a beta reader for Doggett/Scully and Follmer/Scully stories, I'm sure most of you have no idea what that's like.

Disclaimer: Dana Scully, Brad Follmer, Fox Mulder, Walter Skinner, Maggie Scully, Charles Scully, John Doggett, and Monica Reyes are not my original characters. They were created by Chris Carter and belong to 1013 Productions and 20th Century Fox. My use of them in this story does not benefit me whatsoever.

Summary: Brad Follmer offers comfort to Dana Scully.

Author's Note: My Inner Follmer spoke to me, he told me to share Scully with men other than Doggett. As a result this story was written. I've also never seen this kind of Follmer/Scully story before and got an idea in my head to write one of my own. I hope you enjoy it.

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Soft piano music quietly floats from room to room throughout John Doggett's house, Rachmaninov. The room of its origin being the master bathroom. Scully is relaxing in an aromatherapy bubble bath, a face towel on her eyes, her arms relaxing on each side of the tub.

Scully had had quite an interesting day at work reorganizing hers and Mulder's filing cabinets after Mulder accidentally tipped it over causing quite a mess. Since Monica and John are out of town on a case, Scully had no other option than to help her partner pick up his mess. It hadn't been the worst time she's had in the office, actually it was quite fun. She and Mulder had reflected back on handfuls of bizarre cases that they had investigated over the years. They certainly shared a good amount of laughter that day especially when a certain case that took place in the Norwegian Sea came up. They had a good laugh how they had grown old together and had no proof that it had happened. Scully had teased that there was one thing she was certain of that she and Mulder would never have made it to old age naturally together because he would have drove her to the point of insanity and she would have taken him out. He pretended to be hurt but broke out laughing and agreeing with her.

Scully's hands start moving to the soft music playing, "conducting" it. She smiles to herself thinking how nice it is to be alone. If John were there he'd be at the sink brushing his teeth, trying hard not to laugh at her how did he put it "conductor tendencies", when all she wants is peace and quiet and a little relaxation. Of course there's always the downside to not having John around. It would be harder for her to fall asleep without him by her side. Over the past year that they have been living together, she had gotten used to always having him by her side.

Thinking she hears the phone ringing downstairs, Scully removes the face towel from her eyes and looks at the clock hanging on the wall in the bathroom, nine o'clock. She looks at the cordless phone next to the bathtub and picks it up, wondering if the batteries had died again. John never did seem to remember to put the phone back on the charger. She turns it on and holds it to her ear.

"Hello?"

The dial tone is the only reply. Scully turns the phone off, a concerned look on her face. John told her before he left with Monica for Texas that he'd call her every night at seven o'clock. The first night he was right on time and had told her a little about the case he and Monica were investigating. Some deal was going on between drug traffickers and border patrol officers at the Mexico/ U.S. border, not exactly a x-file case, but a good case nonetheless. Good thing Monica is with him. Scully smiles to herself thinking about how John thinks his Spanish is good, but it really isn't that top-notch. "Te quiero" he had told her before he hung up. Sometimes she thought that was all he knew how to say in the language.

Last night was strange, she answered the phone and it was silent at first, maybe a bad connection. When John finally spoke to her all he said was that he was busy but wanted to call and let her know that he loves her very much and that he would be calling at the same time the next day. He hung up on her before she had the chance to ask any questions. This bothered her, but knowing John Doggett if he was busy on a case, he was busy on a case. There was no clocking out until he got the job done. Scully glances at the clock again fifteen past the hour, still she's heard nothing from him.

It is quite possible that he had made an arrest recently and as arresting officer, he would have to be doing all the paperwork associated with the arrest and that could take hours. That's probably what happened.

Realizing the bath water is cooling, Scully grabs a towel and gets out and puts on her bathrobe. She shuffles into the bedroom and lies down on the bed and grabs the book she is reading, "Gone With The Wind". One of her grandmother's favorites. She opens it and reads.

The room is uncharacteristically silent.

After an hour or so, Scully falls asleep and the book in her hand falls to the ground.

Four o'clock in the morning. Mulder hated to be the one to come here at this hour and to be the deliverer of bad news. He quickly walks up to John and Dana's front door and knocks.

What would he say to her or would his expression alone be enough to let her know that something terrible has happened. He knocks again and sees light from the stairwell turn on as Scully slowly makes her way down the stairs.

She opens the front door cautiously. She's sleepy and her hair is a mess. She looks at Mulder through squinted eyes.

"Mulder? Do you have any idea what time it is?" she yawns.

"Scully, I " his voice is uneven. He stops speaking, not knowing how to say this.

Scully opens the door wider and steps to the side to let Mulder in. She shuts the door behind them.

"Mulder, are you ok?"

"Sit down Scully."

She raises an eyebrow, wondering why Mulder is beating around the bush. She takes a seat on the couch and looks up at Mulder. He is upset, something is wrong.

"Mulder, please. What's on your mind?" She's worried that this has something to do with Samantha, for any other time he's behaved similar to this it was because of his missing sister.

"Agents Reyes and Doggett are missing and assumed dead."

Mulder looks into the depth of her eyes and watches as her heart and soul shatter and then as she quickly builds up a wall around her for protection. She swallows hard, not wanting to show her heartache to him. She must be thankful of her ability to hold back her true emotions of death through medical detachment. That ability alone is what makes it hard for anyone to break through her tough exterior and get close to her. Mulder was surprised at Scully's willingness to let John Doggettinto her heart and to share her life and dreams with him. He used to worry that Scully's experiences on the x-files had hardened her heart so much that she was left incapable of loving another with so much passion. He was wrong.

Scully takes in a deep breath, "What happened?" She remains calm under the circumstances and is in complete control of her emotions. Even the tears welling up in Mulder's eyes are not enough to get her to break down.

Mulder tries to compose himself and answer her question. Though he wasn't close to Doggett and Reyes, he knew what they meant to his partner and it hurt him to know how much she must be hurting and that she will not allow herself to find comfort in him. They had known each other for so many years and she was still trying to push him away.

"There was a um there was a shootout at the border. Agents Doggett and Reyes were caught in the crossfire."

Mulder bites his lower lip. Shit. Why did he have to depersonalize them by referring to John and Monica as "agents". Scully certainly did not need that right now, especially when her relationship with John was much more than professional.

"You said they are assumed dead." She stands up, "They aren't sure?"

"One witness, a federal agent, says he saw their dead bodies, but so far they haven't been found."

Scully nods her head and heads up the stairs.

"If they are assumed dead, then we can assume they are still alive. I'm going to pack my bags and you and I are going to go out to Texas and investigate this, all right?" She remains optimistic.

"Dana ", he pauses, "Nine people were killed in the shootout, all of which have been identified this side of the border. Our guys haven't been able to contact John and Monica, and we haven't been contacted by them. Skinner spoke with the SAC in San Antonio he believes, based on reports that have been coming in, that John and Monica were probably across the border when the shooting broke out. That means that the Mexican police may have found their bodies. It's only a matter of time before we get clear communication and find out if they are in fact dead." He pauses again, getting to the kicker. " You know that John would do everything in his power to let you know that he's fine and that something went down. Have you heard from him recently?"

He looks up to Scully, she has stopped on the stairs, her right hand tightly gripping the railing, every muscle in her body tense. A faint cry escapes from her mouth as she comes to the realization that this is the reason why John hadn't called her that night. Mulder takes a step toward her and places his hand on her back. Scully covers her face with her hand and breaks down crying. Slowly she lowers herself to her knees on the stairs. Mulder takes her into his arms and comforts her, he gently kisses the top of her head. Hoping that he is able to protect her from the pain.

The month following the apparent deaths of John and Monica were especially hard on Scully. The first week the field office in San Antonio had confirmed their deaths and had sent the bodies back up to D.C. for proper burial. The funerals were closed casket. No further explanation beyond the initial statement that John and Monica's bodies were in no condition to be seen by family and friends. Scully had tried to use her M.D. status to see them, for her own reason. The need to find closure, but she was stopped by Skinner and told to leave the matter alone. To let them rest in peace.

Despite all the tears shed around her at John's funeral, Scully remained dry-eyed. Saving her tears for the comfort and privacy of her own home John's home. She felt sick without him and spent the next couple of days at home from work, most of which her time was spent on her knees in the bathroom. She refused to answer the phone and only let Mulder in once when he brought her a meal from John's favorite polish sausage stand down on M Street. Even that didn't stay in her long and she rushed to the bathroom and threw it all up. Mulder made her go see a doctor, he was worried that she hadn't been taking care of herself.

Worried for her daughter, Maggie Scully asked her youngest son, Charles, to stay with Dana for awhile until he felt she would be all right on her own. That lasted a couple days. Scully didn't mind the company of her brother, but all she wanted was to be alone. He left soon after she yelled at him for wanting to wash her bed sheets. Her reason she didn't want to wash away John's scent, she found comfort in it. She felt closer to him at night when she slept.

Scully knew that she wasn't moving on. She didn't care. John Doggett was an extension to her soul. She was lost without him. She stayed up hours at night staring at his side of the bed, wishing that with every blink of her eye that he'd be there and tell her that all this had been a bad dream. Never happened and would never happen. Scully damned herself for being so foolish and would cry herself to sleep.

Today marks three months since his passing. Scully arrives at work like any other day. Passing agents in the hallway most unaware of the hell she is going through. Unlike most days, she comes face-to-face with Brad Follmer in the elevator on her way down to hers and Mulder's office. Brad Follmer. Monica Reyes's friend and lover. Scully hadn't seen him since Monica's funeral.

"Agent Scully." He speaks to her professionally.

Scully steps into the elevator and nods to acknowledge him, "Assistant Director."

The elevator doors close and they head down to the basement.

"On your way to the basement, Assistant Director?" Scully feels awkward in his presence, she had befriended him through Monica and had purposely shut him out of her life because she didn't want to be reminded of anything having to do with Doggett outside of her life with him.

"I was coming to see you."

Scully looks at Brad, this is unexpected.

"Me? What for?" She quickly puts up her defense, she raises an eyebrow.

"To see how you're doing. I've worried about you, you know. I've heard you've been giving yourself one hell of a time dealing with this."

"As you can see, I'm fine."

"Are you?"

Scully flashes him a warning glare, she does not want to talk about their loss. She looks away from him when her glare does not deter his concern. The door to the elevator opens and she steps out.

He speaks softly to her, "Dana, listen " he reaches out and touches her arm, she flinches not wanting or needing his comfort.

"I said I'm fine." She is stern.

"I was hoping that you and I could visit Monica and John today. Together. I need to be with someone who knew Mon' well I need to talk about something in her life other than it's end." He is choking up.

Scully looks to him with a cold stare, she retains this expression despite the ache in her heart when she sees a tear run down his face. She understands what he is saying, she's sure that others treat him the same way that they treat her. Always asking how things are when they know very well what happened. Little do they know that though they change the subject, the hurt that was brought back to the surface stays with them longer.

Brad watches Scully for a moment and decides that maybe this wasn't the best idea after all.

"I'm sorry, Agent Scully. Forget I ever said anything."

He turns and heads back to the elevator, Scully hesitates and then follows him.

"Brad, wait "

He faces her and raises his eyebrows, wondering what she'll say to him in response to what he had asked.

"What time do you plan on going?" She lowers her gaze, feeling bad for giving him the cold shoulder.

"I was thinking around six, after work. Monica always liked to watch the sunset." He smiles briefly.

"John did too " Her voice trails off, saddened.

"How about I pick you up around a quarter to six?"

She nods her head, "Sure."

She walks away and enters hers and Mulder's office.

Mulder is sitting at his desk, he looks up from a book and smiles at Scully as she walks in and sits down in the chair in front of him.

"So Frohike and I were wondering if you'd like to accompany us to the cinema this evening. They're playing one of your favorites, "Casablanca"." He grins.

"I can't. I actually made other plans."

"Oh?" Mulder's lips pout out, bummed that she's busy.

"Brad Follmer asked me if I'd like to go visit John and Monica this evening."

"Oh." Mulder is surprised and perhaps a bit suspicious. "I've never noticed you two were really close friends. I always thought he was more of an acquaintance to you."

"I think he thinks we can help each other."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, the man doesn't necessarily have the cleanest of reputations around the Bureau."

Scully raises an eyebrow, "Oh? And you do?" She is amused.

"Just saying you should be careful."

"Mulder, A.D. Follmer isn't a bad guy. He's well-respected among his colleagues and he was a very close friend of Monica."

"I don't know, Scully. It's been what? Three months since they passed and now he's seeking you out for comfort." Mulder sounds angry.

"You of all people should know that it takes a long time to get over the death of a loved one. Even then, sometimes it can be damn near impossible."

Mulder stands up, having enough of this disagreement. He grabs a file folder and heads to the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Got a few things I want to run by Danny up in forensics."

With that, Mulder is out the door. Scully sighs, he can be such a big brother to her much too often.

Scully left work earlier than usual. Since she hadn't actually been to John's grave since his funeral, she wanted to make sure she wore something nice. After trying on a dress he bought her a few months back, she decided to wear it. She is happy that it still fits.

John had only seen this dress on her once, he loved the way that it fit snuggly on her body. It is a simple black dress, spaghetti-straps and showed off every one of her features well. Scully stands looking at herself in a mirror. She runs her hands over the dress to smoothen it out, she breathes deep. Sure enough she can still smell the cologne he wore when he had taken her in his arms and told her how beautiful she looked in the dress and how he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Tears sting her eyes as she remembers him lowering to one knee and taking her hands into his as he asked her to marry him.

Quickly, Scully wipes a tear away as it falls down her cheek. She walks over to her dresser and opens the top drawer and takes out a small ring box and opens it. Inside lies a beautifully simplistic diamond engagement ring. She always took it off before showering or bathing and the night Mulder came to tell her the bad news, she neglected to put it back on. She couldn't wear it anymore, it brought back too many hopes and dreams for her future that had been shattered that night. She takes the ring and for the first time in three months, she places it back on her finger.

Her mind reflects back, she and John had been engaged for only a short time and hadn't told any friends or family. He said he wanted it to be "their little secret" for a little while and they lived it up, sharing many significant looks with one another in the presence of friends. No one had noticed and no one had suspected.

A knock at the door downstairs brings her out of her thoughts. Keeping the engagement ring on, she makes her way down the stairs and grabs her coat and steps outside to greet Brad. He's still in the clothes he wore to work that day. He seems a little surprised by the formality of her clothing, but says nothing about it. They walk to his car and get in.

They drive in silence for a few minutes, not looking at one another. Brad coughs, breaking the silence.

"Thank you for coming with me, Dana. It means a lot."

"You're welcome."

"I'm sure John would say you look very beautiful in that dress." He looks at her, "Is it new?"

"I've had it for awhile, this is the second time I've worn it."

More silence. Brad gets off the highway and continues down a few more roads and takes a right into the cemetery. Since it's now autumn, the trees are bare of their leaves. The atmosphere of this place sends a chill down Scully's spine, her gut tells her that John would have preferred cremation instead of burial. Or is this thought her fear of visiting his grave for the first time? How she'd rather spread his ashes once and not have a place to have to visit him later. Would that have madeaccepting his death easier for her?

Brad stops his car, he looks at Scully. She's making no motion to move. She seems paralyzed. He reaches out and touches her on the shoulder. This startles her and she looks at him, on the verge of crying. She closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath to compose herself. This is a lot harder than she imagined it would be.

"Dana?"

"I'm fine."

"I thought we'd visit Mon' first, ok?"

Scully nods her head and then quickly steps out of the car. She walks to Monica's tombstone.

Brad watches her and realizes that she may not have been out here previously. He slowly walks to her and stands by her side.

"Monica always said that you can speak to the deceased and they can hear you better when you do so at their place of burial."

"That's a nice thought, do you believe it?" Scully is trying to put up her skepticism defense.

"Yes."

Silence. Brad looks at her, he can see that she believes in something too but he's not sure if it's what Monica had said to him.

Scully takes in a short breath and speaks to him seriously, "I've lost my father and my sister. My father had his ashes put out to sea. My sister is buried in this cemetery." She sighs, "Whenever I visit the ocean, I sense my father near me. The sounds of the waves soothe me, as my father's voice once did. I guess that's why I love vacationing by the ocean it brings me closer to him. I don't need to speak aloud to know he's near, I feel him."

"What of your sister?"

"I used to sense her lack of approval of my life, you know, back before I knew John and when I thought Mulder and the x-files were all life was worth living for." She pauses. "I came here once with John "

"What did you feel then?"

"Peace acceptance happiness." She gives him a smile. "It was the first time I was able to come here and not feel guilty about her death. Instead I was able to recall so many good times I had with her. I think John was able to bring that out of me. I'm thankful for that." She smiles through tears in her eyes.

They stand still in silence. Brad shuts his eyes and keeps his thoughts of Monica to himself. A couple minutes later he looks at Scully.

"Ready to visit John now?"

Scully stiffens, "Didn't you want to talk to Monica?"

"I have."

"Oh."

They walk towards John's location, Scully walking slower than before.

"Dana? Is this your first time back here since the funeral?" He speaks to her gently, not wanting to hurt her.

She nods her head and looks down at the ground.

"If you would like, I can wait for you in the car."

"Thank you." She appreciates his understanding that she wants to do this alone.

She continues walking, Brad stays behind. He turns around and heads to his car.

Scully reaches John's tombstone and stands, staring at it. Unable to accept that he'll never be coming back. She closes her eyes, trying to feel his soul. Her face tenses as she tries to hold back tears. Why can't she feel him? Was she not as close to him as she had thought? She whispers his name as tears unwillingly stream down her face.

Angry, she turns around and walks away.

Brad dropped Scully off and is heading back to his apartment. She hadn't said a word to him once she got back in his car, and this bothered him. She could easily talk of her father and sister, but when it came to John she shut down. Something was wrong and he felt the need to help her. He stops his car in the middle of the empty two-way road. He takes a breath and hesitates. Should he turn back and talk to her, make her get everything she's holding in out of her system or let her destroy herself in loneliness. The answer is obvious. Brad does a U-turn and heads back to her house.

He pulls up into the driveway and sees that all the lights in the house are off. She couldn't have gone to bed, it was only going on eight o'clock. He knocks on the door. A moment later Scully answers it, her face tear-stained. She looks at him, her eyes begging for comfort. He says nothing and takes her into his rms. Her body gives in and she collapses into him.

He shuts the door and helps her to the couch where she curls up in his arms. He strokes her hair softly and assures her everything will be all right.

As she cries, Brad looks around the living room. Everything is just as he remembered it, how John wanted it or was it how he had left it? His clunky Marines book was still on the coffee table next to his favorite FBI coffee mug. Brad thinks that the contents of the mug could possibly be the drink he had the morning he and Monica had left for Texas... three months ago. On the couch he sees a navy blue afghan crumpled up in the corner. Scully must have been trying to sleep before he came over, not even going upstairs to change out of the dress she was wearing.

A half-hour passes before Scully calms down and finds the strength to speak. She picks non-existent lent off of his shirt as she does so.

"I don't feel him as I do with Dad and Missy it's like he's gone and doesn't feel the need to let me know he loved me." She swallows more cries, "I don't know, maybe he didn't, maybe it was all show for some reason that I'll never know."

"Don't say that, Dana."

She doesn't respond, instead she pulls him closer to her. He looks down at her and wipes a tear from her face. She looks up at him, her eyes locking with his. They hold this look for a moment, trying to read what the other is thinking. Scully breaks and rests her head on his shoulder and wraps her arm tightly around him.

"Do you think you'll ever be able to love again, Brad?" Her voice is just above a whisper.

"I hope so."

They sit in silence for a few minutes, only listening to the ticking of a clock elsewhere in the room. Scully sniffles and lets out a weak cough.

"You gonna be all right, Dana?" His voice is a whisper. He kisses the top of her head.

Scully's eyes are wide, she sits straight up and looks at Brad.

"What was that for?"

Brad looks away, sorry he kissed her just then. "I'm sorry, Dana. I thought it might comfort you."

He looks at her. There's hurt, anger and understanding in her eyes. She's afraid, but of what?

"Maybe I should go."

Brad stands and heads to the door, Scully follows him. She grabs his arm.

"Brad?"

"Yeah?"

He faces her and is taken back when Scully kisses him on the mouth, her arms reaching behind him, pulling his body closer to hers. In this kiss, he feels all her raw emotion, everything that she has been concealing from others. He knows she loves John, but right now her body craves love. He returns her kiss with equal passion. If physical human touch really helps heal, maybe this is what they both need.

Scully pulls away from his mouth, breathing hard. She whispers into his ear.

"Stay with me."

Those three words are all he needs to hear. He steps back and takes her hand and starts to head upstairs, however she stops him. He looks back at her, her eyes now pleading.

"Please, not up there." Her voice trembles.

He understands and takes her back to the couch and lies down carefully on top of her. His hands gently explore the softness of the black dress she's wearing. His hands caress her abdomen and stomach, rising lightly over a slight bump. She trembles when he touches her here, as if that area was meant to be cherished by one man, John Doggett.

He works his way up to her breast, his thumb rolling over her hardening nipple. He leans down and kisses her. As their tongues explore one another, Scully sloppily untucks his shirt from his slacks and works at undoing the button and zipper.

Brad stops kissing her and looks into her eyes, silently asking her if this is what she really wants. She responds by pulling him back to her. Her hands aggressively unbuttoning his shirt, she peels it off his arms and kisses his chest, her fingernails scratching him sensuously.

Brad rises to his knees and brings Scully up with him. He helps her remove her dress and they carelessly throw it to the floor. He holds her by the waist and admires her near naked body. She kisses his mouth again this time with more passion, with more desire. He slides his hands down her back and underneath her panties, savoring the softness of her skin. He breaks free of her kiss and kisses the sensitive area of her neck as he slowly and erotically brings his hands up her back and unhooks her bra, tossing it to the floor. His mouth now devouring the bare flesh revealed to him. He hears her gasp at the sensation of his tongue quickly rolling over her erect nipple. The sound of her arousal hits his center. He feels her hands tug at his boxer shorts, pulling them down and he gasps feeling her hand envelope his hardness. He pushes her back down on the couch vigourously and rips off her panties and allows her to lead him into her. He kisses her hard and uses one hand to hold one of her arms above her head, his other hand he places between their connected bodies to further stimulate Scully and help her to climax.

He looks at her face for the first time and realizes that she is crying.

Their bodies work together at an awkward rhythm. Scully orgasms before him. Her cries signaling both pain and pleasure. A few more thrusts deep inside of her and Brad releases, sobs escaping from his mouth. Needing to catch his breath, he rests his head on her bare chest, not yet pulling out of her. He listens as he hears her heartbeat steady as she comes back down to reality.

"Brad " She speaks softly to him, concern in her voice. "You're crying." She brushes hair off his forehead, he's sweating.

He raises his head and looks at her, he wipes a tear from her face. "So are you "

They lie in silence for a few more minutes, trying to figure out what to say or do next. Suddenly Scully covers her face with one hand and breaks down crying. Brad looks at her, concerned.

"What's wrong ?"

She doesn't respond to him. Brad stands up and starts redressing. He hands her dress to her and she puts it back on. She sits on the edge of the couch and runs her hands through her hair.

"Shit." She is angry at herself.

Brad thinks that she is angry at him for what they just did.

"Look, Dana, if you didn't want to fuck me, you should have said so."

He's mad. Now she's making him feel like the bad guy. She doesn't reply and he sits down on the couch to put his shoes on. He notices that she has her hand on her stomach, concern hits him again.

"Did I do something that hurt you?"

She shakes her head, "No, it's not that. It's " Shit, how is she supposed to tell him this? "I'm just um I'm pregnant."

Brad puts his arms around her shoulders, this is good news. However, Scully isn't happy.

"I've betrayed not only John, but also my unborn child "

Brad's eyes are wide, he had noticed that the area around her abdomen was slightly larger, but the thought of her being pregnant had never crossed his mind.

"I don't know what to say." He sighs. "Did John know?"

She shakes her head, "I only found out a week or so after his death. No one knows, just myself, you and my doctor."

"Why are you telling me?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm afraid that all my depression and stress will destroy the one thing I'll always have that is a part of him "

Brad puts his arm around her. He knows that she is indirectly asking for his help. It is only a matter of time before people will catch on to her condition. "Dana, if you need anything, I don't want you to hesitate asking me, all right?"

She nods her head. He takes her hands into his own and sees the diamond ring on her finger. He decides not to ask her about that now.

"Are you going to be all right tonight, Dana?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. You should probably be going. We've both got to be to work in the morning." She smiles at him, trying to return to the Scully she normally shows in public.

Brad stands and grabs his car keys, he turns to her before leaving and wishes her a good night's sleep. He leaves and Scully locks the door behind him and heads upstairs to go to bed.

She walks into the bedroom and stares at the bed, thankful she has not washed the sheets. Tonight, John will comfort her, but before that she needs to take a long, warm shower to wash away the residue of her betrayal from her body.

END

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End note: This is just a part of a much larger (hopefully novel length) story I've been working on since 2003. I'm not entirely positive that this will fit with the plans I've been creating for my novel, but it was the story I wrote that triggered a much larger story plan. I haven't officially published this online since 2003 because if it was going to be a part of my novel, I wanted to save it for the novel, but now that I'm not sure I figured I'd release it. It works well on its own, and doesn't give away too much of what my novel is about. Also, Follmer/Scully, yes, that is still one of my "guilty pleasure" pairings. I should delve into my guilty pleasure pairings more often. (10 April 2015)

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